Pitchers and Catchers: Report!

2019 Chachi #71

As Phillies pitchers and catchers officially report today, I wanted to cap off (or Kap off) my 2019 Chachi production with the final card in the set.  Fittingly, it's the checklist and you'll have to trust me that card numbers 59 through 71 are listed on the back.

Here's hoping to a more successful checklist in 2020, including some postseason highlight cards.

If for some reason you wanted to revisit the entire 2019 Chachi set, a complete checklist with links to each card can be found here.

Merry Christmas from The Phillies Room!

2019 Chachi #68

Happy holidays from our team to your team!  All the best for 2020, and here's hoping you're still in your team's photo this time next year.  😀🎄

Realmuto Earns First Gold Glove

2019 Chachi #70

On Sunday night, J.T. Realmuto was named the Gold Glove award winner for N.L. catchers, edging out Yadier Molina and Austin Hedges.  Aaron Nola and Bryce Harper were also finalists for Gold Gloves, but they finished behind Zack Greinke and Cody Bellinger, respectively.  Realmuto became the third catcher in franchise history to win the award, following Mike Lieberthal in 1999 and Bob Boone in 1978 and 1979.  No Phillies player had won the award since Jimmy Rollins at shortstop back in 2012.

All that remains now for the All-Star catcher on his offseason to-do list is to sign a long-term contract extension with the Phils.

Chachi Gold Glove Cards
2005 - Bobby Abreu
2007 - Jimmy Rollins & Aaron Rowand
2008 - Jimmy Rollins & Shane Victorino
2009 - Jimmy Rollins & Shane Victorino
2010 - Shane Victorino
2011 - Placido Polanco
2012 - Jimmy Rollins
2019 - J.T. Realmuto

2005 Chachi #60

2007 Chachi #71

2008 Chachi #86

Phils Name Joe Girardi as New Manager

2019 Chachi #69

On Thursday, October 24th, the news broke that the Phillies would be hiring Joe Girardi to manage the team in 2020.  He's the 55th manager in franchise history and he was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for 2023.  He's the fifth manager for the Phillies in the 6 years and 3 months since Charlie Manuel was dismissed in August 2013.  Phillies fans will best remember Girardi for leading the 2009 Yankees to a World Series victory againsts Manuel's club who were looking to repeat.  I found it interesting that the last time the Phillies hired a manager who had already won a World Series was 1952 when they brought in Steve O'Neill.  O'Neill managed the Tigers in 1945 when they won it all.

1991 Topps Archives 1953 #307

Wearing #25, which means reliever Jared Hughes will need a new number if he returns, Girardi said all the right things during his introductory press conference on Monday afternoon.  He's here to win now and to provide more structure in the clubhouse than his predecessor Gabe Kapler was able to provide.  His first order of business will be to find a hitting coach and a pitching coach, and then the club will turn their attention to luring one (or two or three) high profile free agents.

During his half-hour press conference, Girardi name dropped Larry Bowa, Gary Matthews, John Vukovich, Charlie Manuel, John Kruk and The Phillies Room favorite Bob Dernier.  Dernier was Girardi's first victim in the caught stealing department when the speedy outfielder tried to steal second in the 1989 season opener at Wrigley Field.

Looking at Girardi's baseball card history, his rookie cards can be found in the 1989 Donruss Rookies, Fleer, Score Rookie & Traded and Upper Deck sets.  His first Topps card can be found in the 1990 set, and he'd go on to appear in most every Topps flagship set until 2003 with the Cubs, Rockies, Yankees, Cubs again and Cardinals.  (He was omitted from the 1999 set.)  He's appeared on manager cards in sets since 2008 with his most recent mainstream card found in the 2016 Topps Heritage set.

Personally, I'm a big fan of this hiring and I feel way more optimistic than I did following Kapler's hiring in November 2017.  Girardi has a proven track record and he brings instant credibility to the job.  Hopefully he'll also bring a few more World Series trophies along the way as well.

Pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater in 107 days.

2019 Chachi #67 Jose Pirela

#67
Jose Manuel Pirela
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  220
Opening Day Age:  29
Born:  November 21, 1989, Valera, Venezuela
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent, July 2, 2006
Teams:  New York Yankees 2014-2015; San Diego Padres 2016-2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Purchased from the San Diego Padres, July 27, 2019
Contract Status:  Signed through 2019

2015 Topps #594

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2015 Topps #594
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A

0 - Pirela baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 9/15/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #67

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #66 Nick Vincent

#29
Nicholas James Vincent
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Opening Day Age:  32
Born:  July 12, 1986, Poway, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the San Diego Padres in the 18th round of the June 2008 draft
Teams:  San Diego Padres 2012-2015; Seattle Mariners 2016-2018; San Francisco Giants 2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the San Francisco Giants, August 10, 2019
Contract Status:  Signed through 2019

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A

0 - Vincent baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 9/8/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #66

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #65 Deivy Grullon

#73
Deivy Wilfin Grullon
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  240
Opening Day Age:  23
Born:  February 17, 1996, Bonao, DR
Signed:  Signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent, July 2, 2012
Teams:  Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Via free agency

2013 Bowman Chrome #BCP128

2014 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #10

First Phillies Card:  2013 Bowman Chrome #BCP128
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2014 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #10
Newest Card Added:  2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #11
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A

11 - Grullon baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 9/2/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #65

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #64 Jared Hughes

#25
William Jared Hughes
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'7"  Weight:  240
Opening Day Age:  33
Born:  July 4, 1985, Stamford, CT
Drafted:  Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round of the June 2006 draft
Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 2011-2016; Milwaukee Brewers 2017; Cincinnati Reds 2018-2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Selected off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds, August 15, 2019
Contract Status:  Signed through 2019 with 2020 team option

2012 Topps #175

2012 Topps Heritage #274

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2012 Topps #175
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Topps Heritage #3

2 - Hughes baseball card in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/17/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #64

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #62 Logan Morrison

#8
Justis Logan Morrison
First Base/Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  245
Opening Day Age:  31
Born:  August 25, 1987, Kansas City, MO
Drafted:  Selected by the Florida Marlins in the 22nd round of the June 2005 draft
Teams:  Florida/Miami Marlins 2010-2013; Seattle Mariners 2014-2015; Tampa Bay Rays 2016-2017; Minnesota Twins 2018; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the New York Yankees organization, July 15, 2019

2010 Topps Update #US268

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2010 Topps Update #US268
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A

Morrison joined the IronPigs too late in the season to be included within their 2019 team set.

0 - Morrison baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/15/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #62

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Game 121 - Bryce Delivers GRAND SLAM Walk-Off Win!

2019 Chachi #63

Phillies 7, Cubs 5
Game 121 - Thursday Night, August 15th in Philadelphia
Record - 63-58, 3rd place, 8 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Capped by Bryce Harper's walk-off grand slam, the Phillies scored six runs in the ninth to complete an improbable comeback win against the Cubs.

What It Means:  The sweep of the Cubs completed, the Phillies now open a weekend series against the Padres.  The Phillies are a game behind the Cubs for the second Wild Card.

And the last time the Phillies had a walk-off grand slam while trailing was on September 2, 1983, when Ozzie Virgil did it with Bob Dernier, Ivan DeJesus and Garry Maddox on base.  (Tweet from Tyler Kepner.)

What Happened:  Trailing 5-1, Jean Segura flied out to start the bottom of the ninth.  Cesar Hernandez reached on an error, followed by singles from Scott Kingery and then pinch-hitter Brad Miller, scoring Hernandez.  Roman Quinn's single made it 5-3, and Rhys Hoskins was drilled in the hand to load the bases for Harper.  With Derek Holland replacing Pedro Strop on the mound, Harper crushed a 2-2 pitch to right with the ball landing in the second deck.  Broadcaster John Kruk summed it up best with his "Oh my God" exclamation as the ball left the ballpark.

After finishing his mad dash around the basepaths, Harper was mobbed by his teammates at home plate.  Before leaving the field, he found and aggressively hugged hitting coach Charlie Manuel.

Featured Card:  Harper receives a season highlight card in the ever expanding 2019 Chachi set.  And I couldn't decide on a main image, so I decided to make the second card below a rare, short-printed image variation.

2019 Chachi #61 Charlie Manuel CO

#41
Charles Fuqua Manuel
Hitting Coach

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  195
Opening Day Age:  75
Born:  January 4, 1944, Northfork, WV
Signed:  Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent before 1963 season
Teams - As Player:  Minnesota Twins 1969-1972; Los Angeles Dodgers 1974-1975
Teams - As Coach:  Cleveland Indians 1988-1989, 1994-1999; Phillies 2019
Teams - As Manager:  Cleveland Indians 2000-2002; Phillies 2005-2013

1970 Topps #194

2005 Chachi #36

2005 Topps Update #UH87

2006 Chachi #27

2007 Chachi #27

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  1970 Topps #194
First Phillies Card:  2005 Phillies Team Issue #41*
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2005 Phillies Team Issue #41
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  2005 Topps Update #UH87
Newest Card Added:  2019 Phillies 2009 10th Anniversary Postcards (with David Montgomery and Ruben Amaro, Jr.)

*Manuel also has a card issued in the style of the 2004 Phillies Team Issue, made available during that offseason's winter caravan.

36 - Manuel baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/13/19.

2005 Phillies Team Issue #41

Complete Chachi Checklist
2005 Chachi #35 - Team Card
2005 Chachi #36 - with Gary Varsho, Milt Thompson and Rich Dubee
2006 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2006 Chachi #27
2007 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2007 Chachi #27 - with Jimy Williams, Milt Thompson and Rich Dubee
2008 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2008 Chachi #27 - with Jimy Williams, Milt Thompson and Rich Dubee
2008 Chachi #74 HL - Clinch NLCS, with Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs
2008 Chachi #82 HL - World Series Champs
2008 Chachi #84 HL - World Series Parade
2009 Chachi #26 - Team Card
2009 Chachi #44 AS
2009 Chachi #77 HL - National League Champs, with Brad Lidge, Pedro Martinez and Chan Ho Park
2009 Chachi #84 - World Series Game 6, with Pedro Martinez and Chase Utley
2010 Chachi #27 - with Pete Mackanin, Rich Dubee, Mick Billmeyer and Sam Perlozzo
2010 Chachi #43 AS - with Chase Utley
2011 Chachi #26
2011 Chachi #56 RB - Become all-time winningest Phillies manager
2012 Chachi #26
2013 Chachi #26 - with Mick Billmeyer, Steve Henderson, Rod Nichols and Juan Samuel
2013 Chachi #58 HL - 1,000th Win
2016 Chachi Special Edition #13
2019 Chachi #61

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #59 Corey Dickerson

#31
McKenzie Corey Dickerson
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  210
Opening Day Age:  29
Born:  May 22, 1989, McComb, MS
Drafted:  Colorado Rockies 2013-2015; Tampa Bay Rays 2016-2017; Pittsburgh Pirates 2018-2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later and international bonus money
Contract Status:  Signed through 2019, free agency eligible in 2020

2014 Topps Update #US314

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2014 Topps Update #US314
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Topps Pirates #PI-3

3 - Dickerson baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/3/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #59

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #58 Jason Vargas

#44
Jason Matthew Vargas
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  215
Opening Day Age:  36
Born:  February 2, 1983, Apple Valley, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Florida Marlins in the 2nd round of the June 2004 draft
Teams:  Florida Marlins 2005-2006; New York Mets 2007; Seattle Mariners 2009-2012; Los Angeles Angels 2013; Kansas City Royals 2014-2017; New York Mets 2018-2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Acquired from the New York Mets for Austin Bossart, July 29, 2019
Contract Status:  Signed through 2019 with 2020 team option

2005 Topps Update #UH28

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2005 Topps Update #UH28
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Topps Mets #NM-13

1 - Vargas baseball card in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/3/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #58

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Game 109 - Velasquez and Quinn Star in 15 Inning "Horse****" Loss

2019 Chachi #60

White Sox 4, Phillies 3 (15)
Game 109 - Friday Night, August 2nd in Philadelphia
Record - 57-52, 3rd place, 7 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Despite the best efforts of Vince Velasquez (in left field) and Roman Quinn (at bat and on the mound), the Phillies fell to the White Sox, 4-3, in 15 innings.

What It Means:  If Gabe Kapler ends up getting fired at season's end, we may look back at this game as the beginning (or middle?) of the end.  I can't help but feel a more experienced manager would have handled his bench a little better, especially knowing he had Jason Vargas making his first start and he'd be down to a six-man bullpen with Hector Neris suspended and Ranger Suarez apparently unavailable due his recent work load.  Velasquez still threw his normal bullpen session pregame and was therefore unavailable if needed.  Postgame, Kapler called it a, "horse*** situation."  Agreed.

What Happened:  Vargas pitched well in his Phillies debut, lasting 6 1/3 innings, striking out five and leaving with the game tied at two.  The offense couldn't find a clutch hit all night long and they'd ultimately go 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position.  In the ninth, now ahead 3-2, Juan Nicasio and Jose Alvarez allowed the Pirates to tie it up.

Featured Card:  Fast forward to the 14th inning and the Phillies ran out of pitchers.  Roman Quinn, who had homered and stolen a pair of bases earlier in the game, came on to pitch and escaped the inning when Velasquez, playing left, gunned down the potential go-ahead run at the plate.  Per this Tweet, he's the first pitcher to have an outfield assist since Ned Garver did it for the St. Louis Browns on May 17, 1950.  In the 15th, Quinn was back on the mound and Velasquez again made a great throw to almost get Leury Garcia at the plate.  Replay review showed Garcia was safe, and the White Sox had the lead.  Velasquez still wasn't done as he made a diving catch to end the inning and limit further damage.  The Phillies went down in order in the bottom of the 15th.

Transactions:  Corey Dickerson was activated and Adam Morgan landed back on the injured list with a left flexor strain.

2019 Chachi #57 Blake Parker

#53
Richard Blake Parker
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  225
Opening Day Age:  33
Born:  June 19, 1985, Fayetteville, AR
Drafted:  Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round of the June 2006 draft
Teams:  Chicago Cubs 2012-2014; Seattle Mariners 2016; New York Yankees 2016; Los Angeles Angels 2017-2018; Minnesota Twins 2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Minnesota Twins, July 30, 2019
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2020, free agency eligible in 2021

2013 Topps Update #US172

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2013 Topps Update #US172
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Topps Heritage #132

2 - Parker baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/2/19.

The two cards I have of Parker in my collection are from the 2019 Topps and 2019 Topps Heritage sets.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #57

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #56 Drew Smyly

#18
Todd Andrew Smyly
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  190
Opening Day Age:  29
Born:  June 13, 1989, Little Rock, AR
Drafted:  Selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2nd round of the June 2010 draft
Teams:  Detroit Tigers 2012-2014; Tampa Bay Rays 2014-2016; Texas Rangers 2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers organization, July 21, 2019
Contract Status:  Free agency eligible in 2020

2012 Topps Update #US221

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2012 Topps Update #US221
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A

0 - Smyly baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 7/21/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #56

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #55 Mike Morin

#28
Michael William Morin
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  220
Opening Day Age:  27
Born:  May 3, 1991, Andover, MN
Drafted:  Selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 13th round of the June 2012 draft
Teams:  Los Angeles Angels 2012-2017; Kansas City Royals 2017; Seattle Mariners 2018; Minnesota Twins 2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations, July 20, 2019
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2019, free agency eligible in 2022

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  N/A

0 - Morin baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 7/21/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #55

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

2019 Chachi #53 Rob Brantly

#44
Robert Jacob Brantly
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  195
Opening Day Age:  29
Born:  July 14, 1989, San Diego, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 3rd round of the June 2010 draft
Teams:  Miami Marlins 2012-2013; Chicago White Sox 2015, 2017; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization, December 14, 2018

2013 Topps #511

2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #3

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2013 Topps #511
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #3
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #3

1 - Brantly baseball card in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 7/15/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #53

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Game 93 - The Big Piece Retires; Franco Walks It Off

2019 Chachi #54

Phillies 4, Nationals 3
Game 93 - Sunday Afternoon, July 14th in Philadelphia
Record - 48-45, 3rd place, 8 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  On the day Ryan Howard officially retired, Maikel Franco provided a dramatic walk-off home run to give the Phillies a 4-3 win.

What It Means:  The win meant a sweep was avoided and the Dodgers, the best team in baseball, come to town for a four-game set.

What Happened:  Franco hit his blast with one out in the ninth off reliever Matt Grace, and it was also his 100th career home run.  The heroics were necessitated when the Nationals scored a pair of runs off JD Hammer in the seventh, tying the game at three.  J.T. Realmuto had two RBIs, including his 11th home run in the sixth.

Jake Arrieta threw five innings with his elbow bone spur, allowing a run on four hits.

2019 Chachi Greatest Moments #4

Featured Cards:  Franco gets a highlight card for his walk-off home run and hitting the century mark, but I also wanted to make a card commemorating Howard's day.  This was the final of three retirement ceremonies this season for alumni from the 2008 World Championship team and it followed similar ceremonies for Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.  The usual suspects were in attendance (Charlie Manuel, Milt Thompson) with Mike Trout and Ken Griffey, Jr. delivering pre-recorded messages.

He ended his on-field speech with a plea for the fans about the 2019 Phillies team, "Damn it, they're trying. Don't ever boo these men. I'm out."

Transactions:  Tommy Hunter landed back on the injured list with a right forearm strain and Edubray Ramos was recalled.  Hunter has been limited to just five appearances this season due to injuries.

All-Star Game - 2019 Chachi #52 J.T. Realmuto AS

American League 4, National League 3
All-Star Game - Tuesday Night, July 9th in Cleveland

One Sentence Summary:  The A.L. squeaked by the N.L. for their seventh straight win as Michael Brantley and Joey Gallo provided the big hits for the junior circuit.

What It Means:  I'm getting old.  For the first time in recent memory, I didn't watch the entire game.  I honestly don't know most of the players anymore (especially from the American League) and I was annoyed with the the in-game interviews with players while they were either at bat or in the field.  I just want to watch and enjoy the game.  Still, we enjoyed the first six innings as a family before calling it a night and checking on the final result on Wednesday morning.

What Happened:  There wasn't a whole lot of offense in the game with only Charlie Blackmon and Gallo homering.  No player had more than one hit.  Pete Alonso drove in two eighth inning runs with a single.  Clayton Kershaw was tagged with the loss, having allowed Brantley's RBI-double in the second that put the A.L. up for good.  Indians' pitcher Shane Bieber was the surprise MVP choice, earned by striking out the side in the fifth (Willson Contreras, Ketel Marte and Ronald Acuna, Jr.) in front of his hometown fans.

Featured Card:  J.T. Realmuto was the sole Phillies representative, and the last time the Phillies had more than one player named to an All-Star team was 2013 when both Cliff Lee and Domonic Brown made the squad.  Realmuto pinch-hit for starting DH Josh Bell in the seventh, popping up against Shane Greene.  Remaining in the game as the DH, he was the first of three batters struck out by Aroldis Chapman in the ninth to give the A.L. the win. 

Realmuto's Phillies batting helmets apparently didn't make it to Cleveland and was seen on deck sporting a Brewers helmet in the top of the sixth.  He then found a Phillies sticker and put it on a Cardinals helmet for his actual two at-bats.

Memory Lane

From 1996 - Attending the All-Star Game at The Vet
From 2009 - All-Star Game memories
2010 All-Star Game - N.L. 3, A.L. 1 in Anaheim
2011 All-Star Game - N.L. 5, A.L. 1 in Phoenix
2012 All-Star Game - N.L. 8, A.L. 0 in Kansas City
2013 All-Star Game - A.L. 3, N.L. 0 in Flushing
2014 All-Star Game - A.L. 5, N.L. 3 in Minneapolis

2015 All-Star Game - A.L. 6, N.L. 3 in Cincinnati
2016 All-Star Game - A.L. 4, N.L. 2 in San Diego
2017 All-Star Game - A.L. 2, N.L. 1 in Miami
2018 All-Star Game - A.L. 8, N.L. 6 (10) in Washington
2019 All-Star Game - A.L. 4, N.L. 3 in Cleveland